Star Trek: The Dream
by InfinityGeek
Summary: Captain Kirk has decided to take on Khan's crew as his own. . .this couldn't go wrong, could it? Oh, I almost forgot to mention. . .THE DREAM.


Kirk ran, sprinted, really, trying to get away. He could hear the yells and the screams, the shouts of his abandoned crew. " _Kirk_!" Spock bellowed in pain and agony at his betrayal, holding Uhura's limp form. Kirk ran faster, if that was possible. He ran, but the corridors of the _USS Enterprise_ seemed to get longer and less recognizable. He finally got lost somewhere around the engine, and turned with dread. Scotty and Pavel lay dead at his feet. The fire raged from the engine, threatening to make the ship implode. Kirk raced past the bodies, slipping into an escape pod. He jetted away, away from the screams, the bodies, the blood.

James Kirk woke with a yell. He kicked wildly, willing himself to forget the dream. He fell off the bed, still shouting. Spock ran in. "Captain, is everything all right? This is the fourth time I've found you out of bed this week. It is not normal for you to sleep on the floor, so I can only assume you have fallen." Kirk groaned. "What kind of a dumb idea is that? Of course I can sleep on the floor." Spock tapped his foot impatiently. "Captain. . ." "Alright, alright. I fell," Kirk admitted. Spock yelled in shock as Khan entered the room. "Why are you out of cryofreeze? The more important question is, _how_?" Khan smiled eerily. Kirk scrambled up, out of his undignified heap on the floor, to sweep Spock's phaser away from Khan's chest, which was set to kill.

"Captain Kirk graciously released me from that frozen prison. The rest of my crew, as well. I'd be on my way by now, but the captain has invited us to join his crew. As much as I'd hate answering to this. . .this. . .creature, I'd rather be here with my crew than frozen without them." Spock turned on Kirk, eyes burning. "And you did not consult me? Captain, this is most illogical. Khan tried to murder both of us." Khan interjected, "Actually, you two were just casualties. Captain Kirk did not have to expose himself to radiation, rather, he chose to."

Bones walked in and gaped. "What is _Khan_ doing here? You. . . _You_. . .Okay, I'm done." He held his hands up in surrender and stalked out. Kirk laughed a little at Bones' reaction, but was quickly silenced as Spock dragged him out into the hall. "Captain, there has been a very serious mistake. If we let Khan loose on the Enterprise, we'll lose valuable crew members, I'm sure. Let me just put him back into cryofreeze, and -" Spock was cut off by a horrible scream. "Uhura!" they both shouted, and raced up to the command centre.

They arrived to see the whole command centre emptied of personnel. Khan and Uhura were in the middle, Uhura strapped to a chair. Uhura screamed again, shaking. Kirk and Spock both approached Khan, trying to remain calm. Spock tried to harness his emotions to keep him from strangling Khan right then and there. Uhura suddenly broke out of the bonds, straining. Spock caught her in his arms, and she smiled weakly. "Ohhhh. . .Spock?What - what are you doing here?" Spock said, "Trying not to strangle Khan." Uhura smiled. "You always did have a strange sense of humor." "We heard you screaming and came to investigate." "Oh, that? Khan just wanted to try out the new fear harnesses. They don't work on Vulcans or whatever he is, but they work on humans, Romulans, Klingons, whatever else. Don't worry, I'm fine." Spock was about to reply, but Kirk cut in. "From the sound of those screams, you weren't. What did you see?" Uhura was not about to respond, but Kirk interrupted. "That's an _order_ , Lieutenant."

She sighed. "Fine. I saw. . .I saw the Enterprise's core in flames. There were bodies, blood, and. . .you. You were running away. I saw my body, Spock holding me, screaming. I followed you. You flew through the core, ignoring the other bodies there, and got into an escape pod. I slipped in with you, and we jetted off to. . .well. . .we got to a white, barren planet. There was an old man who looked. . .well, who looked like Khan. He clapped you on the shoulder, laughing. I looked up, and the Enterprise exploded. No one aboard survived. The worst part was. . .you laughed with him. You thought it was funny, hilarious, even, that your best friend was dead, along with the rest of your crew. I hated you. But I see you now and I know you would never do anything like that, right Captain? Captain? _Kirk_?"

Kirk was running as fast as his legs would carry him away from Uhura, away from Spock, but most of all, from Khan. It was Khan, he was sure of it. He typed in some coordinates to program the escape pod, and was just about to get in and launch it, when Spock rounded the corner. "James." The only other time Kirk had heard Spock use his actual name was when he was relieved to see him. However, Spock looked far from relieved. "Why are you escaping? We are not under attack, and I don't believe you could leave the ship either way." Kirk sighed, because he knew Spock would require an explanation not to record the Captain's treachery in the ship's log.

"Fine. Uhura's description. . .that's why I've been on the floor every night. Except. . .I always woke up when I was in the escape pod. I never saw my destination, or the coordinates. I just. . .It scared me, Spock." It was rare for Kirk to admit he was scared of anything, so Spock was temporarily shocked into silence. "You would never be coerced into operating with Khan, much less _enjoying_ it. You would never leave the ship. I promise you, Kirk, that you are _nothing_ like Khan." Kirk shuddered. "I just. . .maybe I am. Captain Pike -" both of them choked up "-found me fresh out of a fight, bleeding from my nose, chest, pretty much everywhere, because I was such a brawler. I wasn't a fighter or a rebel, just a brawler who thought it was fun."

Spock looked at him thoughtfully. "Fine. If you have that dream again, I'm calling Ms. Marcus. Are we understood, Captain?" Kirk loved Carol, but he would absolutely hate her to see him freaking out over some nightmare. "Got it," he replied, shivering. "Good. And, next time, don't wear your Star Fleet shirt when you're trying to escape." "Why is that, Lieutenant?" "Because I installed a tracker in it. That way I can see where you are at all times." Kirk cussed violently. "Dang you, Spock!" He took a mock punch at Spock, who easily dodged. "It's my job, Captain." "Nobody asked you!" Spock laughed for the first time. "I do not mind keeping a lookout for you."

 _Will there be a sequel? Perhaps. If you want one, comment!_


End file.
